Wolf Among Sheep
by Little.Miss.Xanda
Summary: The first time he ever felt like he belonged was when one of the most vicious Death Eaters known to the Order took him in. That bloodthirst, crazed Death Eater gave him a place to call his home. He might be betraying everything he had ever known; however, he wouldn't lie to himself: amongst these broken people was the only place he had ever felt true acceptance.


**Disclaimer**: Anything you recognize belongs to the incomparable J. K. Rowling. No money is being made from this.

**Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition – Season Seven – Round Nine**

**Captain for the Tutshill Tornados**

**Round 9**

Long Live (the) Queen!

* * *

This round is a tribute to the legendary rock band, Queen, and its iconic lead singer and pianist, Freddie Mercury. Each position's stories should be inspired by the Queen song allocated to them. But, there's a catch! Your story should contain at least one line of lyric from the song. Please mention what lyric you've used in your a/n!

**CAPTAIN**: Bohemian Rhapsody

**Lyrics:** Let him go!

**Word Count**: 2999

Thanks to my amazing team for betaing. You're all amazing!

* * *

**Wolf Among Sheep**

The light streaming from the windows made the red splattered on the pale skin of Harry's hands shimmer. This couldn't be real.

"Harry?"

He looked up—eyes wide and wild—and took a step back as he saw his mother on the threshold of the room.

"Mom…"

She took a step into the room. He took one back.

"What have you done?"

There was horror in her eyes.

"I didn't mean to!"

He had just been so angry. Moody always pushed and pushed. Harry had told him to stop. He was exhausted. But Moody hadn't listened to him. He just yelled and told him Death Eaters wouldn't stop just because he was tired. Then…

Harry shook his head.

"Harry." His mother took another step forward, and Harry raised his wand.

"Don't!" His hand was shaking, but he didn't lower it. "It's not my fault! I told him to stop!"

"Harry…"

"No." His heartbeat slowed. His hand stopped shaking. "I'm done. I'm leaving."

Voices reached him from the corridor, and he pulled his magic together and tore through the wards protecting the camp from being discovered—with any luck, they would all be too busy with the wards to run after him right away.

* * *

Harry sat opposite the Leaky Cauldron, tracing the magic keeping it hidden from Muggles. He had never been inside—_too dangerous_ the Order members had muttered when he had asked if he could go—but he had been told all about it by his dad and his uncles.

Had his mother told them what she had seen? Would they hate him now?

He clenched his hands on his jeans, almost tearing the worn fabric.

Life with the Order wasn't perfect. He was dead on his feet most days, and his body was more often than not a giant bruise—but at least he'd had his dad and his uncles. They always lifted his spirits—they'd promised him when it was all over, he would be free to do whatever he wanted. They gave him hope for a new and better life. Now, though, his life was over. The Order would never stop hunting him.

He looked at the Leaky Cauldron again. Should he risk it?

He nodded, getting up from the bench. He forced his legs to move, to carry him just a little further. He smiled as the wards around the Leaky Cauldron greeted him—they were warm and soft, completely different from the wards around the camp; those made him feel oppressed, locked up, and bound. He never understood the relief he could read on the Order members when they crossed the wards back into the camp.

As he reached for the door, his legs gave up on him.

The last thing he saw before darkness clouded his vision were wild, black curls.

* * *

"… _don't know."_

"_His registry…"_

"… _missing… no trace of them… one of…"_

"_I don't care… I am… as told!"_

Harry frowned, burying his head deeper into the soft pillow. His dad was always careful not to argue with his mother when he was trying to rest—he always said Harry needed all the sleep he could get.

His eyes snapped open, and he sat up with a jolt. He looked around frantically, almost blinded by the bright light and white walls.

"Careful," an elderly man dressed in lime-green robes said and reached for Harry's shoulder.

Harry shied away from the touch, eyes narrowing on the man and woman next to him. She was younger than the Healer, and there was something about her that seemed familiar.

She smiled—wild and bright and free—and Harry knew who she reminded him off right away.

"Harrykins!" She bounded towards his side, smile never wavering. "So happy to see you awake. You gave Aunty Bella quite a scare collapsing like that. Yes, you did."

She wagged a finger at him, and Harry saw far more of his uncle Sirius in her than the latter would ever be comfortable admitting to.

"You'll have to tell Aunty Bella who those nasty wizards were that cursed you so." She scowled fiercely, and Harry had to stop himself from flinching away from her. He had been trained by the Order to fight Death Eaters like her; he would show no fear. "How dare they use the Cruciatus Curse on my dear Harrykins? Aunty Bella will give them a taste of their own medicine. Yes, she will. They'll scream so prettily, I bet! Like the Longbottoms when Our Lord killed ickle baby Longbottom." She petted his hair, still with the wild smile stretching her lips. "Tell Aunty Bella their names, will you?"

"He's dead," Harry blurted before he had time to think, far more unsettled by her chipper mood than he was showing.

The image the Order had painted of Bellatrix Lestrange did in no way match what he was seeing. There was no doubt in his mind that she was utterly insane; however, he could see true concern in her eyes.

Was this really his life?

Maybe his mind had finally broken and locked him in a fantasy world where vicious Death Eaters showed more concern for him than his own mother.

Bellatrix's smile slid from her face. She narrowed her eyes and threw a quick glance at the Healer who scampered out of the room.

She took a seat on the edge of his bed, keeping her hand on his head and softly caressing his hair.

"The Order?" she asked, no trace of insanity on her features.

Harry bit his lip, looking away from the bright eyes. She really looked far too much like Sirius.

His life with the Order was over. Could he… could he start a life in the Wizarding World?

Slowly, he nodded, burying the guilt that briefly stabbed at his heart. His dad and his uncles would never forgive this betrayal.

"I'm meant to be their weapon," he whispered, bitterness swallowing him whole.

He started as a small hand cupped his cheek and lifted his head.

Bellatrix was smiling again, just as bright and free as before. Would he ever know how to smile like that? Would he ever know such freedom?

"Do you want to be their weapon?"

Knowing he was renouncing everything he had ever known, Harry shook his head.

* * *

Marvolo's lips twitched as he watched Bella bounce around the room. Any moment now, Lucius would snap. The Malfoy Lord was all about proper etiquette while his sister-in-law was as wild as they come.

There was a pleading look on Lucius' face. Marvolo glanced at Rodolphus and saw that the man had no intention of reining in his wife. Rodolphus found Bella's antics just as amusing as he did.

"What has you so exuberant, dear Bella?" Marvolo asked, stopping her in her tracks.

She twirled around to face him, a wide grin on her lips, and Rodolphus shook his head.

"She has a new toy," Rabastan said, looking as exasperated as his brother.

"Not a toy!" she snarled before settling down beside her husband. She turned towards him, a smile on her lips again. "He's my baby!"

Marvolo raised an eyebrow. He knew she couldn't be or have been pregnant. She had been cursed by Moody at the beginning of the war, rendering her barren. Her mind had taken a toll after that—her and Rodolphus had been looking forward to being parents; their match had been one of love, not an arranged marriage. He didn't think she had ever recovered from it.

"I found little Harry, and he's mine now, my Lord." She was still grinning, and he knew he would get no better answer out of her.

"He collapsed in front of the Leaky Cauldron a week ago, my Lord," Rodolphus added. "She took him to St Mungo's."

"Knew who he was right away," Bella bragged. "He looks just like Potter, but prettier; must be the Black blood from his grandmother. You should see his eyes, my Lord. They're divine! Perfect Slytherin color, you'll see." She beamed at him, looking like a proud mother, and Marvolo felt a migraine forming.

"You took in an Order member?"

Potter… the other prophecy child. He had wanted to kill both children. However, Pettigrew had been killed in a battle between the Order and his Death Eaters, and the Potters had vanished before he'd had the chance. He had killed several of his Death Eaters in a fit of rage. His mind had been lost to the rituals he had undergone—he was grateful to his Elite for forcing his hand and making him undergo a purifying ritual even if he had punished them quite severely after the fact. It had taken him a few days to admit—even to himself—that the Wizarding World would never have prospered under a madman.

Should he kill Potter now?

"You didn't think it prudent to tell me?"

With Wizarding Britain under his rule and most of Europe keeping their wands out of his country, the Order didn't pose a true threat. Though, there was still Dumbledore. The crafty old fool…

Bella hunched in on herself, every trace of joy leaving her. Still, she didn't lower her gaze; she never did.

"My Lord, I would never allow any threat to you to live."

True. He'd never had cause to doubt Bella's loyalty to him. He doubted this child would make her loyalties waver. Well, at almost eighteen he was hardly a child.

He nodded, and she bounced right back, her bright grin stretching her lips once more.

"He's not an Order member. They wanted him to be their weapon."

Yes, he could see Dumbledore putting all his hopes in this second prophecy child.

She cackled. "He killed him! My dear, sweet Harry killed Moody!"

She cackled again, completely ignoring the surprised looks from Lucius and Severus. Marvolo was feeling as surprised as they looked.

Moody had been a thorn in their side for decades.

"Excuse me?"

"He killed Moody!" She jumped on her seat, incapable of stifling her cheer. "So much blood! Red looks lovely on my Harry!"

Marvolo contained a sigh as Bella continued to prattle on about her Harry. Going by the expressions of Rodolphus and Rabastan it was hardly the first time. He settled back in his armchair and let her—she had sacrificed much for him. He could allow her this moment of happiness.

And if it turned out that this Potter was a spy for the Order…

He smirked. He hadn't gone hunting in a long while, and Potter might just serve as a warmup.

* * *

Marvolo sat on his throne-like armchair, observing the friendly dueling competition between his Death Eaters. Several of his Elite were participating and had passed with flying colors.

However, the one holding his attention was Bella's child.

In the months since Bella had taken Harry in, he hadn't had the opportunity to interact with Harry as much as he'd wanted.

* * *

_Big, green eyes stared at him—Bella had been right, they were the perfect Slytherin color._

"_You're the one meant to kill me," he said._

_Harry's eyes narrowed, and Marvolo felt his magic snap against his. He hid his surprise at the staggering force of the magic. Equal to his own, he was ready to say, even if it lacked the experience he possessed._

"_I'm not _meant _to do anything," Harry said. "Not anymore," he whispered. "My life is my own." Defiance poured out of him._

_Marvolo expertly ignored the shot of lust that raced down his spine. Well now, that was different. He leaned back in his armchair, his lips twitching._

_Maybe this would involve a completely different type of hunting._

* * *

Their first meeting had stayed with him. There had been something untamable about Harry that had caught his attention like nothing had in years. The Order's actions had in no way broken Harry. He might have been chained, but now that he had tasted freedom, he possessed a wild beauty that rivaled Bella's.

If he hadn't known Harry's history, he would have believed that they were mother and child, especially since Rodolphus seemed to have taken him under his wing as well.

His gaze followed Harry's lean figure as he made his way to the platform. Marvolo raised an eyebrow when he saw that Harry would be facing Barty.

He had heard Bella rave about his abilities, something she rarely did, and he was curious to see how Harry would fare against one of his Elite.

Those two had struck an odd friendship. Barty seemed eager to show Harry everything the Wizarding World had to offer, and Harry soaked up the information like a sponge.

Marvolo narrowed his eyes when he saw the look Barty sent Harry—there was nothing platonic about that look, even if Harry seemed oblivious to it. A quick glance to his right showed that Bella wasn't particularly happy about it either.

He clenched his fists when he saw several others looking at Harry the same way.

That wouldn't do.

"Are you sure you want to face me?"

The teasing tone grabbed his attention, and he looked back towards the two on the platform.

Harry rolled his eyes, easing into a dueling position that was a mix between classic Auror training and Bella's influence.

"Come now, don't tell me you're scared," Harry replied, and Marvolo closed his eyes as Harry's magic surged around him.

As the first curse flew across the platform, Marvolo leaned forward, sitting on the edge of his armchair.

He would never get enough of that magic.

* * *

Harry threw his head back and laughed as a Cruciatus flew over his shoulder. This was nothing like the training sessions with the Order. This was exhilarating! Especially when he felt the Dark Lord's magic surge every time he cast a darker curse.

It was as if the man was showing his approval—Harry would not lie to himself, it was an intoxicating feeling.

Harry stopped, frowning and absentmindedly side-stepping a curse that Barty threw at him.

"Someone's tampering with the wards," he said, his voice carrying over the soft buzzing of the Death Eaters.

The Dark Lord made his way to the platform, stopping right beside him, with the three Lestranges following.

The tension in his shoulders eased when Bella gently ran her hand through his hair as she passed him.

"You can feel that?" the Dark Lord asked, and Harry nodded, not looking away from the man. It wasn't smart to look away from a deadly predator. "My, you are full of surprises, aren't you?"

Harry frowned at the tone, and he saw Rabastan's and Barty's eyes widen, looking between the two of them.

"Order members?" the Dark Lord asked.

Harry shrugged. "Bill's a curse breaker. Well, we couldn't really approach a Master to teach him or anything, so he got training from those that understood something about it, mostly Dumbledore."

"Is he good?" Bella asked as another shudder went through the wards.

"I'm better," Harry replied, not an ounce of bragging in his tone. He had to be. Every time Bill finished before him, Moody would increase his training—which, usually, meant longer periods of time under some sort of torture curse—for practice, Moody would tell him, the Death Eaters would show him no mercy and he had to get used to it.

The wards shuddered again, and this time everyone could feel it.

"Take your positions," the Dark Lord ordered, and Harry watched the Death Eaters slip into place, wands at the ready. They worked as a well-oiled machine, and a part of Harry felt sorry for the Order.

While he had been trained to be a fine-tuned weapon, most Order members were ordinary wizards and witches—no special training, no special skills.

The Death Eaters were, essentially, the Dark Lord's trained military.

Harry was sure the Order stood no chance.

The wards creaked and groaned, and then, between one blink and the next, the Order stood in front of them. Harry saw his parents and uncles front and center, just beside Dumbledore.

Aside from the young children, every Order member was present, and Harry shook his head at their foolishness.

"Tom," Dumbledore said, and Harry frowned. Who was Tom? "I admit I am surprised to see you here." Dumbledore's gaze darted between him and the Dark Lord.

"Dumbledore, such a pleasant surprise," the Dark Lord said, taking a step forward and partially shielding Harry, the Lestranges doing the same on his other side.

Harry's heart was thumping wildly, drowning out most sounds. Were they protecting him?

"Harry."

Harry's breath stuttered at his dad's desperate tone.

"Let him go!" Sirius snarled.

The Dark Lord chuckled. "Let him go?" He turned and Harry was frozen in place by that vibrant red gaze. "I will never let him go."

It was just as much a promise as a threat, and a feeling of exhilaration crashed over Harry.

His magic surged and snapped around them, and the Dark Lord's smile was as deadly as a wolf's.

He found an answering grin pulling at his lips.

Maybe he was always meant to be here, with these people who were just as broken as he was.

"Kill them all," the Dark Lord said.

Harry's eyes widened, searching out his family amidst the Order members, so he was too slow to move when the Dark Lord grabbed his arm and Apparted them away.

"What have you done?" he snarled, twisting away from the man and pointing his wand at him as soon as they landed, barely registering that they were back in Lestrange Manor.

The Dark Lord smirked. Then, faster than Harry thought possible, the Dark Lord had grabbed his wand-arm and pushed it down, using the momentum to pull him closer.

Harry had to tilt his head to keep their gazes locked, and he could only hope the Dark Lord wouldn't feel the rapid beating of his heart.

"Didn't I say I wouldn't let you go?"

Then, surprisingly soft lips were devouring his, and Harry could do nothing but give in to the feelings overwhelming him and let things go any way the wind blew.


End file.
